NBA Offseason News and Moves

[alfdogg 0]

I'm glad these people aren't GM's.

 

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[Guest JohnnySwift]

I'm glad these people aren't GM's.

 

Link~

 

Link2~

 

Warning: Popups

Yeah those guys are pretty out there. I was reading the Celtics may be ready to trade Payton thread and I have one question...why is Michael Stewart always referred to as Yogi? Is there a story behind it or is it just a dumb nickname?

[Krankor 0]

Stojakovic would love to be a Bull

August 7, 2004

BY LACY J. BANKS Chicago Sun-Times Staff Reporter

 

Sacramento Kings All-Star Peja Stojakovic told the Chicago Sun-Times on Friday he would love to play for the Bulls, and John Paxson has admitted calling the Kings to inquire about Stojakovic's availability.

 

The main impediment to that courtship heating up is Sacramento ownership has said it has no plans to trade Stojakovic, despite his request to be dealt.

And if the Maloof brothers change their minds, the Bulls don't have a lot to offer for the 6-9 forward, who was second in the league in scoring during the regular season at 24.2 points.

 

The latter hurdle becomes even greater for the Bulls because Indiana is said to be offering former Bull Ron Artest, who is the reigning defensive player of the year.

 

''I love Chicago, and I have a lot of friends there,'' Stojakovic said by phone from Belgrade, Yugoslavia, where he is shooting a Reebok commercial that also will feature Philadelphia 76ers star Allen Iverson. ''I also feel the Bulls are a great organization, and I especially like the fact that Scott Skiles is the coach there. He was my coach in Greece when I played for PAOK in 1998. We almost won the championship under him. He's a great man and a great coach.''

 

Paxson proved he's not afraid to aim high when he and chairman Jerry Reinsdorf visited Kobe Bryant before he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.

''Yes, I called and expressed an interest, but I have not talked with [Kings operations chief] Geoff Petrie yet about it,'' Paxson said. ''So it was a one-sided phone call. Certainly, if a player of his caliber were available and he would be interested in Chicago, we'd obviously owe it to ourselves to take a hard look at it.''

 

The most sought-after commodities on the Bulls are center Eddy Curry and guard Kirk Hinrich. After losing Vlade Divac to the Lakers, which prompted Stojakovic's displeasure with Sacramento, the Kings need a center.

But Artest is a special talent.

 

''Peja tells me he would love to play in a big city like Chicago with a strong population of Yugoslavians and Greeks,'' said Nick Papaioannou, who writes for Eleftheros Typos, an Athens, Greece, newspaper.

 

''He is Serbian, and he speaks both languages.''

Artest's salary of $6.5 million this season is compatible with Stojakovic's $6.8 million. Stojakovic has an option to get out of his contract in 2007.

 

''I've asked for a trade because I think a change of teams would be good for the Kings and me right now,'' Stojakovic said. ''It's nothing against the team, the organization or the city. They all have been good to me. I just think I've done as much as I can do for the Kings, the window of opportunity is closing down, this team needs changes and I would be perhaps the easiest player to trade.''

 

Other options Paxson is considering to add size and scoring skills to his backcourt are Bobby Sura, Eric Piatkowski and Calbert Cheaney.

 

Meantime, although former New York Knicks teammates Othella Harrington and Frank Williams say they want to play for the Bulls, Paxson must wait until centers Dekembe Mutombo and Cezary Trabanski return from abroad to know if they want to stay and play.

 

Apparently Peja said that he would love to be a Bull…too bad he didn't say that two weeks ago when Chicago still had some decent people to offer as trading fodder. I'm still salivating at the thought of him possibly playing for the Bulls.

[The Electrifyer 0]

I'd love to see him be a Bull too. I wouldn't mind if Curry is traded for Peja. In fact, upon reading about his horrible off-season work out and his condition now, I hope he is traded for Peja.

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

so is Peja dropping acid now or what?

[Guest El Satanico]

Why on earth would Peja want to play for Chicago...they have nothing to offer for players of value

[The Czech Republic 0]

The most sought-after commodities on the Bulls are center Eddy Curry and guard Kirk Hinrich.

Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa! Fatass Curry can go but Hinrich is the future of this team. He stays. Stojakovic, he can get us a #8 if we're lucky and get some more guys this offseason.

[Fökai 0]

I LOVE the idea of Stojakovic as a Bull, but the prospect of giving up Heinrich sours me on it.

 

Why on earth would Peja want to play for Chicago...they have nothing to offer for players of value

 

The Kings MAY need a post prescence, if you've been paying attention to the hub-bub in the offseason.

 

Besides, Webber alienated both Divac and Stojakovic with his comments late in the season, which doesn't give Sacramento a lot of leverage if it means Stojakovic will dog it for the early part of the season.

 

Though, if Stojakovic only makes $6.8 million this season, I doubt we can offer anything more than Curry to make the contracts match. Portland will attempt to offer Rahim, but that means Stojakovic AND Christie for Rahim, which the Kings don't plan on doing.

[Guest Smark-Raving Mad]

Webber called out Divac for not caring enough. Curry is, reportedly, 30 lbs overweight.

 

I don't think Webber would welcome Curry with open arms, not that I really think a guy who misses 25 games a year and disappears in the clutch should shoot his mouth off like that.

 

That Peja for Artest trade makes a lot more sense.

[Steviekick 0]

That Peja for Artest trade makes a lot more sense.

It would be the best trade as far as player value is concerned, but it would be a tough one to decide upon. Do you want/need better offense or defense?

[The Electrifyer 0]

I wouldn't trade Artest for Peja, if I were Indiana. Artest is an incredible defensive presence who can shut down pretty much anyone he guards. Besides, Indiana already got Stephen Jackson to cure they offensive woes at the SG/SF position. They should not trade Artest for Peja.

 

I'm just gonna cross my fingers for a Eddy Curry-Peja swop.

[The Fett 0]

I'd take Peja over Artest anyday.

 

We're talking about a player that was an MVP candidate versus a player that was a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. I take the MVP candidate every time.

[nogoodnick 0]

Also Artest is a cheap-shotting little bitch and Rip shoulda wupped his ass.

[MrRant 0]

Erick Dampier may be willing to take the Knicks' $4.9 million mid-level exception ... but is it already gone?

 

Vin Baker's agent, Aaron Goodwin, told ESPN Insider Chad Ford on Thursday that Baker already has agreed to a multiyear contract with the Knicks that starts at $3.5 million -- eating most of New York's mid-level exception.

 

"Vin is done," Goodwin told Ford. "The [Knicks] mid-level is gone. ... Vin [contract] starts at $3.5 [million], which negates Dampier for mid-level."

 

While there had been previous rumblings about the Knicks' interest in re-signing Baker, talk of the team using part of its larger exception to get him comes as a surprise. There had been previous suggestions that Baker might take the Knicks $1.6 million veteran's exception instead. Thursday's The Journal News (Westchester/Putnam counties, NY) reported that a source confirmed that the Knicks had used the smaller exception to keep Baker for this season, with a team option for a second year.

 

Goodwin, however, dismissed that scenario as an option.

 

"I would never take $1.6 million for Vin. That is not negotiating, it is accepting, which I never have or will do without a fight," he told Ford.

 

The Knicks have yet to officially announce a deal with Baker. A phone call to the team for comment wasn't returned.

 

If the deal with Baker is done, the Knicks may be out of luck with Dampier. Repeated attempts to work out a sign-and-trade with the Warriors for Dampier have fallen short, with Golden State GM Chris Mullin having rejected two sign-and-trade offers that included Nazr Mohammed and Kurt Thomas.

 

Without the mid-level or a sign-and-trade, the Knicks have no way of adding Dampier. Dampier has also been talking to the Hawks and has reportedly been offered a six-year, $50 million dollar contract for them. However, he's been reluctant to join a team that is rebuilding.

 

Dampier, who averaged 12.3 points and 12.0 rebounds a game last season for the Warriors, visited the Knicks on Wednesday and suggested that he was looking more for a chance to play for a contender than for a big contract.

 

"You get to a certain point in your life where the money's not a factor and you just want to win," Dampier told The Associated Press. "I'm not getting any younger and I want to be in the playoffs so I have a chance to compete for a championship."

 

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

 

Morons....

[razazteca 0]

Should'nt Vin Baker be at AA meetings?

[alfdogg 0]

"You get to a certain point in your life where the money's not a factor and you just want to win," Dampier told The Associated Press. "I'm not getting any younger and I want to be in the playoffs so I have a chance to compete for a championship."

Well...

 

Also at Rip whooping Artest's ass.

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

so Dampier looked all across the league and said, "hey, you know who's gonna be right in the thick of the title hunt this year? The Knicks."

 

why don't I belive him...

[razazteca 0]

Is it me or does Isiah Thomas GM skills look like a fantasy player making trades just for the fuck of it?

[Guest Mindless_Aggression]

Fantasy GM Isiah Thomas is tremendous. He's going after a bunch of guys who are all numbers and not a thing more. It's great.

 

I wish upon a star that the Bulls could get Peja. KEEP HINRICH. For God's sake, the guy woulda been hitting 8 to 10 assists a game last year if someone could make a fuckin jumpshot on that team, with Peja there, it'd be perfect. Move Curry, as much as I hate to say it. He always plays well once he's in shape, but he has no desire to get there before the season starts. Focus on Chandler and see what happens.

[Sass 0]

Wow. Folks in the Knicks organization need to put down the bong. They're morons and now they probably lost the guy who could have put them over the top with most of the Eastern conference. The Lakers are so making a play for him now since they have guys to trade and cash to spend. Kupchak isn't a fool to take scrubs from Boston unless he thinks these guys will have fires lit underneath their ass's (they won't fuck up or improve the Lakers in any way though is how I see it right now).

 

Jeebus Zeke.

[Guest NaturalBornThriller4:20]

I like what Zeke has done with the Knicks, they've become a decent team again.

 

Of course he has made mistakes...

 

1. Trading Keith Van Horn for that whiny little prick, Tim Thomas. Trading KVH so late into the season really screwed up the team's focus, then they hit a skid which landed them in 8th place.

 

2. Signing Vin Baker.

[The Electrifyer 0]

The Rockets have signed Bob Sura and Charlie Ward: http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/sura_ward_040809.html

 

At this time, with all the other free agent PG's signed to other teams, I guess this is a good move for Houston.

[Conspiracy_Victim 0]

I was actually sdurprised Sura lasted this long. He's been pretty high up on a lot of FA lists and he lasted what, 3 weeks on the market? As for Ward, well, he's a Van Gundy player. He won't make too many mistakes and he's still got that Heisman Trophy somewhere I guess. This does create a glut in the backcourt though with Ward, Sura, Lue, Gaines, Piatkowski, and McGrady/J. Jackson. If a rumored Pike for Mutombo trade goes through, I think they're pretty well set with:

 

PG: Ward, Lue, Gaines, Mike Wilks

SG: McGrady/Jackson (either one), Sura

SF: McGrady/Jackson, Bostjan Nachbar, Adrien Griffin

PF: Juwon Howard, Maurice Taylor, Scott Padgett

C: Yao Ming, Mutombo

 

Good balance of size and athleticism, although I wish we could find a big bruising 4 to get some pressure off Yao. Hey Charlotte, can we make a deal for Okafor or something?

[bobobrazil1984 0]

Fuck Yes.

[Guest Sykotic2002]

Where did you hear about the Pike?Dikembe trade?

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

I do know that the Bulls have no interest in keeping Mutombo. I haven't heard anything about a possible destination for him though.

[Conspiracy_Victim 0]

Where did you hear about the Pike?Dikembe trade?

Just a couple of blurbs in Chicago papers. Don't know if it's serious or not, but it would make sense, at least for the Rockets. Anyway, the Herald mentions it here and the Tribune mentions that talks have even gone on. The article needs registration to get to, but all it says is, "Houston has interest in Mutombo, and the Bulls have had talks about acquiring veteran swingman Eric Piatkowski."

[alfdogg 0]

JO is lobbying to bring in Damps

 

Link~

 

If he was willing to accept the MLE from the KNICKS, then we may be able to get him easier than I had thought. Either way, I'd hold off on counting my chickens on the Pistons for just a bit until Damps lands somewhere.

[Guest Mindless_Aggression]

Bob Sura is a pretty good signing. For the first time in his career, in Atlanta, he got consistent starter minutes and rewarded them with a double double of some sort every night. He saved my ass in Fantasy League by putting up Jason Kidd numbers for a month and change.

 

Charlie Ward and Lue will provide good shooting to work off of Yao with, so yeah, good signings.

[The Electrifyer 0]

Wow Yao Ming and Dikembe Mutombo on the same team? Imagine those two on the court at once, nobody would be able to get any shot inside the paint.

 

And I hope Sura will be able to provide the same kind of good play he did last year. Providing good numbers on Atlanta is one thing, but providing good numbers on a good team in a dominating division is another thing. I'm also hoping I pick him as a steal for my next season's fantasy NBA team.